They have the best avocado toast in LA. Nice place to work/study with many outlets! It's a little dark though. Parking is pain so if it's not early in the morning, you might have to spend a lot of time just circling around the area. There are many good restaurants nearby so the spaces are mostly full, but if you don't mind walking a bit, there are some spaces near the apartments. read more

Groundwork has the best coffee (after Urrth) near Little Tokyo. I love iced coffee, and they make it strong and "not bitter" which is different from saying it's "sweet." I go there every morning practically for an everything bagel, toasted with cream cheese. read more

Was looking for a quick grab of coffee before heading out to explore around. Arneat was so generous in giving us a discount! Its located near Arts district and gets pretty quiet at night- perfect for studying or getting some work done. We got Cafe latte and mexican mocha with almond milk and it tasted toasty, nutty, and spicy. Will come back for more when im around the area! Thanks Groundwork coffee! read more

Groundwork Coffee - Cafe latte and mexican mocha- both with almond milk! Bomb! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've tried hot latte, ice latte and cold brew separately. Hot coffee latte is my favorite since the milk foam is pretty silky even it made by none fat milk. read more

Groundwork Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Seriously considering filing a complaint with homeland security because GC Co. cold brew is THE BOMB! :) read more

Nice decor and was excited to come here for the coffee as they have plenty of other locations However, awful service has ensured that I will never come again read more

Look if I'm paying $30 for 2 breakfast Burritos and 2 cups of coffee. I expect amazing food and amazing service. The Cold Brew is amazing but that was about it. Basically what you'd expect from 20 somethings at a coffee shop in the arts district. My order was taken by a girl who I assume also has another part time job at Urban Outfitter based on her blase customer service and polyester kimono. I ordered 2 breakfast burritos; 1 regular and 1 with no meat and no avocados (because my boyfriend has the eating habits of a 10-year-old). A ridiculously time after ordering, the first burrito they brought out had no meat but avocado. 10min later the second burrito they brought out had meat and no avocado. After going to the counter to ask what was going on they proceeded to explain that the confusion was coming from us asking for no meat because the burrito didn't come with meat. At that point, we lost it and they refunded our order. I would like to say that this is the first time I've had issues with them, but this is only the most recent event. I would like to say that I'll never go back there again, but it's right around the corner from my storage unit. So I'll be there with a bad attitude and probably won't tip. read more

I really liked the atmosphere at this joint. Quiet, understated, sleek, and welcoming. The coffee was good...not too bitter. I had a mocha though so it's hard to tell. It wasn't too sweet and that's always a plus. They had almond milk which made my day! Free WiFi too, so it's a great place to get some coffee and do some work or study. Only downside was sticky counters. Normally don't care but it was gross... read more

Groundwork Coffee - Mocha Love!!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This was a go to study spot for me in college! Located in the DTLA arts district, Groundwork is surrounded by many other trendy restaurants, bars, and eateries! So not only is a great study spot, but also a great place to drop by for coffee either before or after a meal. I ultimately gave this place 4 stars because the drinks are better than average (average being Starbucks), but not the best coffee/ lattes/ teas that I've ever had. After all, it is a chain store. I usually order an almond milk latte, it's very smooth and easy to drink. This place is great for studying/ doing work because of the large amounts of tables, outlets, and free wifi! Additionally, if you get hungry, they also serve food including pastries, sandwiches, and salads. I recommend the lox bagel! The service is great! All the baristas are super nice! I've even received a couple of drinks on the house :) In terms of parking, the arts district can get pretty busy, especially on weekends. There are plenty of parking lots around, but I've found that if you circle enough a few times, you can generally find a spot! Overall, i would recommend this place to my friends, and I will definitely come back :) read more

I was so excited to see that this place had cashew milk! My barista told me it might not foam as well, but he tried it anyway and it was beautiful! I also had one of their breakfast bars (the chocolate chip peanut butter one, I think it was called "Mindful"), which I loved. I was having a particularly rough day, and the employees were extremely nice to me, so points for friendliness! Will be returning. read more

Cute coffee shop located in Art District. Sometimes it gets really packed on weekends. I've tried their regular latte and salted caramel latte. Both did not taste as smooth as other coffee place I.ve been. Also when I came, the staff was chatting with their friends most of the time while making my coffee. I can see people coming here to study or do some works since the place was not loud. However, based on the quality of coffee I would not come here again. read more

Really really good coffee. Just moved to the area and excited to have found a great coffee spot on the first try. Short rib sandwich was tasty but definitely on the small side. "Side salad" was literally 6 leaves of spinach. Little disappointed for the price read more

Eat Local +Think Global Groundworks coffee is to Los Angeles what Pete's is to Baa-zerckly/SF. Hands down the best brew in town! read more

Coffee is slightly above average but the reviews low score is mostly reflective of a rather indignant staff and absurdly illogical policies on picking up take out orders. Which require you to still wait in line when the sole purpose of calling ahead is expediency. read more

This story is 100% true, I swear. One time my girlfriend was in line for her morning fix at a local Starbucks, when out of nowhere a crazy homeless woman sidled up next to her and started sniffing. Before she could sort out what was going on the homeless woman yelled out, "Ma'am, you smell like a vagina!" (of course, she did not). Almost at once the barista boys quickly and efficiently escorted the homeless woman out of the store with a resounding "and don't come back" slam of the door. Later that evening, after telling me her outrageous tale of embarrassment she said, "and you know what the worst part was?" I replied, "no, what?" "For a nanosecond I thought to myself...do I really?" Right about now you might be wondering what this has to do with a review Groundwork coffee, but bear with me. I try my darndest to steer clear of the giant megacoffee(TM) chains (SB and CB&TL that's you I'm talkin' bout). But when I find myself stuck in the 'burbs or somewhere equally devoid of choice, I, like many of you acquiesce and order up a Grande Soy Latte and go about my business. But every time I do I am left with nagging guilt and doubt. Did I just support an "evil" chain with a stated business objective to put any and all competition out of business? Do I know what sort of fair-trade practices they have in place and have I unwittingly supported a company that serves milk with genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone? Do I, in fact, smell like a vagina? See, that's the wonderful thing about Groundwork. Not only do you get a fantastic-tasting cup of freshly brewed coffee, but you can also rest assured in the knowledge that you're supporting a local establishment that serves environmentally friendly, fair-trade organic coffees and teas in a charming and unique atmosphere. And as for your smell, well I'm sure it's as fresh as a spring rain. read more

I love this place and this neighborhood. Feels homey. Cool spaces to sit, super good coffee and pretty latte art. read more

Groundwork Coffee - so pretty and so good - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Okay, to be honest the coffee is not that great. I've tasted better hipster coffee (Intelligentsia). But what this place has over other hipster coffee cafes is service and study spot perks. STUDY A lot of tables, outlets along the walls, wifi, and caffeine. What else could you ask for? It seems like a lot of people on Yelp had problems with the wifi. My friend used their wifi and didn't complain about it during the few hours we were there. Oh, yes. We stayed for a few hours and no one complained or gave us dirty looks. This is a plus in my book. COFFEE I got the soy latte -- my staple. It was just OK. SERVICE Everyone was nice and attempted friendly conversations with me. The employees here definitely set a nice vibe to this place. read more

Awesome coffee, awesome staff, awesome spot. That makes it 5 stars for me. The coffee was amazing! I really appreciated the friendly customer service. I love when baristas aren't coffee snobs!! I ordered the mexican hot cholcolate latte and the tree hugger oatmeal. Both were delicious. I plan to replicate the oatmel at home, it was that good. I've also had the iced chai and it was amazing. They have plenty of seating and quick service. Parking can be challenging at times, but people tend to come and go rather quickly. read more

Great coffee shop. Friendly staff. Plenty of seating, unlike some other coffee shops around the area. I got their passion fruit peach tea and enjoyed it. Also bought a mini jug of their cold brew coffee concentrate and had some this morning and I would go back and buy some more. read more

See all

I haven't been to an actual location of theirs but just bought a bottle of their cold brew at Whole Foods Market. We make our own cold brew coffee at home so my expectations are pretty high when I try others. What can I say but I was nothing less than pleasantly surprised. Usually I find others' cold brew to be too acidic; however, this one was beautiful on the taste buds. It was velvety, rich, and smooth - almost that chocolately kind of taste. I had to dilute it so I didn't have a caffeine rush, but that just means more coffee for later! read more

Original Review Went in for coffee and wow. First timer! Had one of their Spice Lattes and the breakfast burrito (minus eggs, I know... I broke the eat eggs code, but I don't eat 'em). Burrito was incredible. Seriously, caught me off guard at how alpha this chorizo filled meal jump started my day. Quick and friendly service, good coffee, and better food. I'm your huckleberry from now on. I'm in once a week to for a cold brew, a latte, avocado toast or another breakfast burrito. read more

Besides maybe delis, Groundwork Coffee is THE ONLY coffee shop in downtown LA that opens before 7:00AM. We intended to stop by Blue Bottle on our way to work around 6:30AM, but alas, it opens at 7! I scoffed LOUDLY and thought "If we were still in nyc...!" The hubby detected my snobby, disgusted new yorker moment and shut me down immediately. That's how we ended up at Groundwork this week, and boy am I glad. The cold brew is smooth as butter, and the dirty iced soy chai is THE best we had ever tasted. Not too sweet, and jitters for daaayyyyzzz. The staff is relatively unfriendly, and the coffee pricey so it can't be a daily ritual, but definitely still an excellent way to start your day. read more

Excellent drinks -- high quality tea and coffee. It can get busy sometimes, but it's also a good place to work if you can find a seat. read more

I come here a lot because I work in the area and they have decent vegan options. However, after a particular visit, I don't know if I will ever come back. I've dismissed the attitudes from the staff in the past, even though I would come on the regular, a warm hello was rare. That was fine with me though because I really just want a nice cup of coffee and pastry to start my morning. I've always raved about the coffee and vegan breakfast burrito to my fiance. Anyway, on a Friday morning, I had the chance to bring my fiance in to enjoy a breakfast burrito & latte before heading to work. The person taking our order gives the usual impatient vibe (which I'm used to by now), and we take our seats to wait for our food and drinks. We ordered 2 hemp milk lattes and my fiance goes to the counter and grabs them. He notices one of them is already covered and tasted slightly different than the other, so he double checks if it's the right milk, because we can't have normal dairy. The barista (a male with bleached hair and plugs) rudely responds "Dude, it's hemp milk" as if it was the most challenging, hardest request ever known to man. I could tolerate indifferent attitudes, but I don't think anyone should ever be so rude. There are friendlier staff that I've come across, but I guess it was just our lucky day. Also, it took over 25 minutes to get our breakfast burrito. I understand the kitchen can get backed up, but it seemed a little too long. By the time we got the burrito I had to go straight to work. To top it off, as soon as I sat down in the office and took a bite, I realized the burrito had egg AND cheese, even though we ordered the vegan version. It was a ridiculously bad experience. Also, a quick smile and welcome doesn't hurt! read more

Location: in the center of the Arts District Parking: very limited street parking or expensive lots Space: more seating than the average Arts District coffee shop, with space to work, outlets, etc. Coffee: not as good as others (Stumptown), but they do have a pretty decent nitro cold brew for only $4 (large) Pros - a lot of seating - decent coffee for reasonable price - free wifi Cons - parking is hard - only tables along the walls have outlets read more

This is my go to coffee shop. I discovered them as a study spot when they were by City Hall, and followed them to the arts district. If you buy a bag of coffee, you get a free drink of any size (so take advantage of that large latte). Free WiFi with no time limit & a lot of seating. It gets a lil crowded on the weekends, but people are pretty kind about letting you use the outlets by them. Today is my first time ordering food, and while it is super pricey, this is the arts district so I'm sure they have no problem finding wealthy millenials to pay $9 for avocado toast. I ordered the poached eggs & avocado + a large iced coffee. It came with toast and mixed greens w dressing. It was all good. Probably wouldn't pay that much without a gift card, bc I'm broke but it was a welcome splurge. Also, their "B*tches Brew" coffee is incredible. read more

Groundwork Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We loved! I brought my boyfriend and mother and it was awesome. The treats were delicious and coffee was smooth and strong. It is very artsy and open - we loved it here! read more

Egg McLovin sandwich hits the spot every time!! They also have their house made Harissa sauce that is a must try!! They have it out on their utensils station. I inquired on purchasing a couple bottles for myself, but they told me it's a newish item so they're still doing some tweeking on that item before putting it on the shelves. I can't wait till then!! Oh! Also, my go to coffee drink here is their Vietnamese coffee. It's smooth, milky with just a tad bit of sweetness! read more

It was about 7:30pm and they had no decaf brewed, other than espresso drinks (grumble), so i got a decaf americano. It was fine enough. But from start to finish, the barista girl seemed annoyed that i was there in the first place. There was some confusion about the drink and rather than relaxedly explaining it to me, she bluntly corrected and spoke to me as if I was the sole reason for her current misery. Unadulterated attitude. No need to come back..got other spots to go to. ~ peace ~ read more

Whoa, is this place closed?! O.O I came here last month with a few friends and enjoyed it. It's cute, the employees are very friendly, and the ambiance is nice and relaxed. It's one of those places where you could stay a long time and be comfy. I don't remember what sandwich or drink I ordered, but I do remember that I enjoyed my food, and my friends did too :) read more

This out-of-the-way coffee joint in the heart of the artist district is a perfect substitute to your corner chain coffee spot. It's welcoming wood and brick interior begs you to slow down, grab a seat and open up your laptop connecting to their free wireless. I'm a coffee girl, but I have to treat myself to the best cup of Tiger Chai latte I have ever had. The perfect spicy, creamy concoction. Go ahead, order anything and just try to say it's not the best tasting brew you've had. To accompany your warm cup, grab a perfectly crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside bagel from the bread cabinet and ask for a quick toast with cream cheese. So take yourself down a notch and enjoy your morning. read more

I've come here twice so far to drink a latte or tea and get some work done. It's usually fine for a while and then something happens to the atmosphere. The first time the morning was nice and then around noon they started blaring really loud rock music and everyone looked quite agitated which is when I left. Then the second time there was really loud jazz music which was fine, but then there was loud pop music blaring from the back as well and the dissonance from the different music was too annoying to get work done without noise-canceling headphones. I really enjoyed the drinks though. It's the Art District so it's pretty pricey but tastes good. The staff seems nice as well. read more

I work in the Arts District. This was my go to coffee place. I always order their avocado toast because it is delish. However, prices have increased and the food quantity has decreased. I ordered the avo and egg toast to go (now $10). It took them a good 15-20 minuets to bring it out to me. I get to my office and I see my sad little avo toast....I don't know if they simply forgot but it use to come with a salad and extra chili sauce. The flavor is still delicious but no matter what time I go the food wait is always so long. Try ordering ahead if you can. read more

Groundwork Coffee - Avo and Egg toast...it comes with 4 bread slices. No salad or extra chili sauce. $10 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I go here from time to time with my fiancee since she goes to school across the street at Sci-Arc. It''s OK - lots of hipster crap service, feels like a coffee shop in Brooklyn or Echo Park, ie decent product but employees are too into their asymmetrical hair and bullcrap to make you feel important. The mochas are awful, burnt, never properly blended (bitter milk on the front end, way too Hersheys sweet on the finish), but their regular coffees are fine. Their sandwiches are decent, but even in a neighborhood where things are changing, this isn't a good sign of things to come if it's representative of what's happening down here. read more

Go-to: iced almond milk lattes and avocado on toast. $4.50 for the coffee, $5 for the toast. Free wifi! Great place to get work done. read more

Food, organic coffee, indoor/outdoor seating, and wifi.. What more could an avid coffee guzzler dream of? Street parking only. It might be tricky during weekends since other hot spots (like Arts District Brewing, Pie Hole, etc. are just across the street). I didn't have a chance to try any food but there seemed to be a pretty extensive menu for a coffee place-- sandwiches, salads, etc. Another plus is that there were tons of people sitting around getting work done so it must mean the wifi connection is reliable! I'll definitely be back. read more

If you want a well-crafted drink in a good ambience, this is the place to go! I happened to just stumble upon this place when I was exploring the Art District. I was looking for a place to sit down and get some writing done and this place had the perfect atmosphere for that! There is a huge selection of drinks and food. I ordered the Chai Latte with Almond Milk. They also offered rice milk and soy milk as non dairy alternatives. Sometimes I am cautious of ordering chai lattes because most places drown the drink with sugary syrup. The drink was the perfect amount of sweetness and spice! Sometimes almond milk can have a soap-y taste, but the almond milk they used was the perfect amount of nuttiness. All the flavors complimented so WELL with each other! If you like chai latte's I HIGHLY recommend trying theirs! The interior of the cafe is very rustic and industrial. All the staff were incredibly kind. This is the type of coffee shop you can get work done and also have a nice catch up session with friends. Next time I am in the area, I will definitely check out the pour over and brunch food! read more

My favorite cafe to study/get work done. Beautiful little coffee shop, wonderful ambiance, staff is friendly and helpful. There are power plugs everywhere, a ton of tables. One of my pet peeves is having to pay for parking (obviously not from LA), you're pretty much guaranteed free parking on weekends if you get here before 8:3am. Teas are wonderful, coffee is tasty, their food is even pretty awesome! Overall, a great place to spend a couple of hours of you day. read more

Groundwork Coffee - Beautiful upper area. I love to sit in the back and look out at the room - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

What a great find for the day. I was in the area during lunch, saw people outside and thought the name sounded familiar so I thought Id check it out. To my surprise it is a great little shop with a nice vibe. People were hanging out on their laptops, eating and drinking coffee. I can see you thinking "gee, isn't that what people do at a coffee shop?" Well, yes but this place just has a better ambiance than most. I almost felt bad to not set up shop and stay longer and read a book or something after I finished my sandwich. I only had a turkey sandwich so my 4 star rating is more for the overall feel and potential this place seems to have. It wasnt a "Oh my god you have to order the turkey sandwich" sandwich but good nonetheless. If you're in the area you should stop by for sure. Next time Ill have to get some coffee. read more

I like this place. Or rather, I like the entire feel of this place. I never know where it is, but I can always find it. It's in the Artist District near downtown and I often get the craving to go down there and enjoy the contrast between Just Plain Shitty and Trying To Be Cool. The coffee is pretty good, the atmosphere is fun and there is always local art up on the walls, which makes me appreciate the experience even more. I also like the space a lot. It is a refreshing change from the cookie-cutterness of Starbucks, but it doesn't feel like they just threw a bunch of shit together and unlocked the door for business. If you've been to your share of independent coffee places, you know what I mean. Overall worth a stop in if you're in the area. read more